The Twelve Kingdoms: The Shore in Twilight

He's different. Everybody says how he creeps them out. And I'm the one who pays for it."
    The boy hung his head. Because it was true.
    At first, the people around him had been admiring and sympathetic, celebrating his return with great displays of affection. When that died away, only the strange looks remained. At length, he grew used to it, benumbed. Next came a courteous isolation. He was labeled "out of the ordinary." And the other children in the neighborhood picked that up and tormented him with it. His brother was apt to get involved as well.
    "It's got nothing to do with me, but they all badmouth me as well, and push me around and throw stuff at me."
    The boy's younger brother seemed on the verge of tears. He picked up a toy and threw it at him.
    "Stop that right this minute!"
    "Why are you always taking his side?" he shouted, as he continued to fire off whatever he could lay his hands on. His ammunition exhausted, he grabbed his older brother instead.
    Or rather, he tried to grab him. Before he could actually do so, a plank of wood fell on his head. A piece of the shelving below the lintel in the genkan abruptly shook loose and fell on him. The plank was not very heavy, and he managed to avoid a direct hit. His younger brother gaped, and then realizing the calamity that had almost befallen him, burst into loud wailing. His mother screamed as well and ran up to him and clasped him to her bosom. Coming to the realization that he had suffered no grievous wounds, she looked back at the elder of her two sons, her eyes filled with a confusion of wonder and fear.

    Sanshi giggled rather maliciously. Sanshi, came Gouran's scolding voice out of nowhere. Sanshi pretended indifference. That's an evil little kid. "We can't allow any further harm to come to Taiki."
    Sanshi was only looking out for him. She had no choice but to tolerate them feeding him impure food. She didn't understand this world very well. But what she'd grasped in her clouded, semiconscious state was that Taiki needed somebody to watch his back while he was in detention. His jailers were few, and they provided him with the barest minimum of security and the basics of life. Furthermore, from what Sanshi could see, his jailers weren't aware that they were poisoning him.
    "The enemy's agents could be anywhere."
    They were cleverly manipulating his jailers. But who were they ? She detected no overarching desire on their part to harm Taiki. Nor did they seem to hate him or behave with hostility toward him. Detaining Taiki like this, and conspiring to commit regicide, probably arose out of animosity toward Gyousou.
    Strictly speaking, Taiki wasn't the enemy. In that case, the persecutions and unreasonableness of his jailers could be overlooked. However, when it came to others--
    "Just a warning. That even though taken captive, Taiki is still a kirin."
    She had only reached out slightly with a hidden hand. Anything more would sap Taiki's psychic energy. Therefore a warning would have to suffice.
    "I'm compromising as much as possible."
    What Sanshi really wanted to do was take Taiki and flee. Aside from the king, there was no one on earth as exalted as the Taiho. No good could come from allowing him to be seized by these peasants, forced to live in these menial surrounding, abused by course language, not to mention the attempts to beat him.
    The strain on her body and mind made it difficult to endure the humiliating behavior Taiki was being subjected to. If his jailers were the ones raising their hands to him, she was supposed to pretend not to see anything. No matter how disrespectful, how abusive their behavior, she had to grit her teeth and take it. The same went for the contaminated food they were feeding him.
    "I can't stand it--" So why does Taiki have to stand it too? "Why won't the Royal Tai rescue him?" Sanshi muttered to herself.
    From the shadowed golden darkness, she heard Gouran answering in similar tones, "If he lives--"
    "Nonsense."
    "But he was lured to Bun Province."
    Sanshi pressed her hands to chest. Or would have in the real world. If that was true--if perchance the rebels had gotten to Gyousou--if he was already dead--
    Then who would come to rescue Taiki? What would they do if this state of affairs simply continued on and on? As these thoughts occurred to her, Sanshi felt true fear for the first time.
    Even though in small amounts, the poisons were accumulating. That dimming golden glow proved it. If this went on for many more years,